A Guide To Movie Musical Utopia

Writing about the appeal of movie musicals in his 1977 essay "Entertainment and Utopia," Film Studies professor Richard Dyer said the entertainment they provide "offers the image of 'something better' to set against the realities of day-to-day existence." He went on to argue that while the settings of musical films themselves do not portray what a Utopia might look like physically, the films instead "present how Utopia would feel." It should surprise no one to discover that my Utopia feels exactly like Zendaya and Zac Efron falling in love on a trapeze.

For reasons that manyreviewers have already hashed into, "The Greatest Showman" does not reach the echelon of "great" movies. It claims to be a musical about PT Barnum’s life (it’s really not) and stars Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, and Zendaya — two Tony nominees and two very talented youths who do their best to bring life to the parts of this movie that require lines to be spoken while standing still, not belted and danced. And yet "Circus Musical," which I call it because its actual title is a blatant lie, was one of my favorite movies of 2017. I have seen it three times in theaters. As there are still people in my life who have not seen "Circus Musical," I would absolutely be willing to see it for a fourth time. I am beyond comfortable in advocating for everyone to see this movie — because, for me, it hit so thoroughly on the feeling Dyer described.

I clearly wasn’t alone. After a 8.8 million dollar opening, its box office grew in its second weekend by 76.3 percent and dropped by only 11.3 percent in weekend three. Many in entertainment media credited word-of-mouth (others blamed me, the number one Twitter "Circus Musical" evangelist). That kind of growth is incredibly rare in the fickle world of cinema, especially when going up against known franchises like "Star Wars" or "Jumanji." And yet "The Greatest Showman" managed to bring in fresh customers and repeat visitors. At the time of writing, the film’s soundtrack, composed by the team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, is currently number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and number one on the iTunes albums chart. It's been so well received that this weekend, the film's fourth, FOX is releasing a special sing-along version, with lyric captions, in theaters across the country.

But why that kind of growth when 2017 presented many movies better than "The Greatest Showman"? I found myself rereading Dyer’s essay once realizing that my strange love for the film harkens back to the MGM and RKO musicals I grew up with; films that, like "Circus Musical," were also often short on plot, yet could stand on their musical talent alone. Like "The Greatest Showman," these films were also needed escapes for American moviegoers who faced the Great Depression, a bloody World War, the injustices of segregation, and countless other atrocities and tragedies beyond the theater walls. A film that abandons all pretense of taking place in a realistic world (the film is an hour and 45 minutes long and somehow never establishes a year of provenance) is something of a blessing when one is looking not to think about America in 2018 (or 1945). "Circus Musical" showed up in the right place at the right time.

"The Greatest Showman" is not a great movie, but it is one that people want to see. It brims with both ridiculousness and enthusiasm; the feeling of frenetic energy oozing out over the sides of the screen. The cast, as critic Amy Nicholson wrote, is "turned up to 11." You leave the theater happy. While my euphoric delight during the film and in the hours post-viewing did not always come from the movie itself, I still got just as much joy from watching my friends watch it for the first time, and dissecting it with them afterwards. Scream-laughing at your friends’ incredulous, "What the fuck did I just watch?" is cleansing.

I rang in the new year dancing around to songs from "The Greatest Showman" with friends from my college musical theater days. This strangely ahistorical musical with poor lighting and too many CGI’d humans for comfort may not be the best film of the year, but it is my happiest. That utopic feeling should not be undervalued. After seeing it for a third time, I decided that I couldn’t wait until a Hollywood studio green lit a new, similar project. I wanted to keep that feeling going for as long as possible — and my friends were going to be very concerned if I returned for "Circus Musical" viewing number four. Luckily, if you’re searching for enthusiasm, happiness, and escape — or if you simply enjoyed "The Greatest Showman" and found your interest in musicals piqued — Utopia, of a sort, is readily available on DVD. Here’s where you should start.

Cabin in the Sky (1943)

It’s recommended that one see all of Vincent Minnelli's films, but in this age of peak TV and film I understand that we don't all have the time. However, one should make time for each of the Minnelli films on this list. This first, "Cabin in the Sky," is a biblical morality tale starring Ethel Waters, Eddie Anderson, and Lena Horne in her prime. Anderson plays Little Joe Jackson, a gambling, drinking man who dies and is resurrected by angels who give him 6 months to save his immortal soul. Waters is his long suffering wife Petunia, scorned when Horne's Georgia (sent by the devil himself) tempts Little Joe away from her. Perhaps the most interesting detail about this film (in which Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington also appear) is that one of Horne's solo numbers was cut, as it was considered indecent, at the time, to feature a black woman singing in a bubble bath.

The Band Wagon (1953)

There’s an air of 'This is so easy, anyone could do it!' that one finds running through many backstage musicals of the 30s, 40s, and 50s. "The Band Wagon" tempers that eventual ease with failure early on. Fred Astaire plays a supposedly washed up Hollywood actor who arrives in New York for a career revival on Broadway. "Washed up" is a stretch for Astaire to play, which you’ll understand as soon as you watch him dance through a Times Square carnival with partner Leroy Daniels. However, the beauty of this film rests in his eventual partnership with Cyd Charisse — an MGM dancer who toes the line between ballerina and bombshell — as they work together to try and stage a hit Broadway show. When it fails (no one wants to see a musical theater rendition of Faust, go figure), the show revamps, rebuilds, and hits the road for one delightful (and apparently very simple to pull off) revue.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)

In 2018, the plot of "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" is wildly problematic. It's a musical about a woman named Milly who agrees to marry a man mere hours after meeting him in a tavern; and also a cautionary tale about jumping into a relationship that quickly, because for all you know your new husband may have six brothers he expects you to cook and clean for, as well. As this is not what Milly signed up for, she decides to marry off her six brothers-in-law to the eligible girls of their small Oregon town. And so, after a stunningly beautiful ballet and a jaunty song about the Rape of the Sabine Women (yes, really), the brothers kidnap six townswomen to court and marry at their homestead. It's a weird movie, and if I weren't so taken by Howard Keel's charms and Michael Kidd's choreography, I wouldn't be recommending it. But, as you watch this engaging film shot in Ansco Color and performed so perfectly by Keel and Jane Powell, you'll quickly understand why AFI named it one of the best musicals of all time.

Tommy (1975)

While I've seen "Tommy" several times and consider it essential to movie musical canon, I am not entire sure a) how to describe "Tommy" or b) who "Tommy" is for. The answer goes beyond "fans of The Who." But I know that when "Tommy" — The Who's album turned rock opera film about a traumatized boy who becomes a pinball champion — finds its ideal viewer, something inside of that person will instantly come alive. The "Tommy" viewer must not only love classic rock, they must also enjoy camp (Ann-Margret is in this, so it's unavoidable), the 1970s, and should maybe be able to sit through a classical opera. Or at least "Les Mis." I think the ideal "Tommy" viewer has probably enjoyed movies like "Baby Driver" and "The Kingsmen" series, has a strong stomach, and perhaps finds those videos of people popping zits on YouTube soothing, but I can't say for sure. That said, I urge you to see if this film by The Who is for you. If this is indeed your perfect musical, you'll come away never feeling more understood.

The Prince of Egypt (1997)

Dreamworks’ first hand drawn, hand painted, animated musical is, basically, "The 10 Commandments" for kids, but somehow manages to be a Bible musical without being preachy. It’s even kind of progressive, if one considers the wide variety of capable women in the film (portrayed by Sandra Bullock, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Helen Mirren) and their many varied body types. Pro-tip: "When You Believe" may be the hit single off "The Prince of Egypt" soundtrack, but "Through Heaven's Eyes," performed by Brian Stokes Mitchell, is the film’s true bop. Be on the lookout for it to play over one of musical cinema’s best "falling in love" montages ever. The same song is performed live in the video above to save your eyes from spoilers — "The Prince of Egypt" is really a movie that needs to be seen in full for its beauty to be believed.

Camp (2003)

Some have cited "The Greatest Showman" as being perfect for a teen whose best friends are their student theater cohorts. My friend said, after seeing "Circus Musical" for the first time, "This was both terrible and amazing. Now I understand what it was like for non-theater people to watch 'Glee.'" "Camp," an independent film musical about a theater summer camp (based off of New York's Stagedoor Manor) and the hormonal teens that attend it, is also for those people. If you enjoy queerness, Stephen Sondheim, and Anna Kendrick, you will very likely enjoy this.

Bride and Prejudice (2004)

Bollywood musicals aren’t often given wide-releases in America, and I have to shamefully admit that I haven’t seen many of them. But one of the few given an American release was Gurinder Chadha's "Bride and Prejudice," staring Aishwarya Rai, Martin Henderson, Naveen Andrews, and Indira Varma. For those Westerners who are new to the genre, it offers up a Bollywood Musical with a familiar story: Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" (get it?). There's even a character named Darcy. This film never slows down, and like "The Greatest Showman," it feels like those involved are constantly on. It's a high energy musical about sisterhood that has the rare distinction of not falling apart when the singing stops. You'll be thoroughly entertained for the entire 2 hours and 2 minutes.

Idlewild (2006)

There are no white people in this movie, an observation I took several viewings to make. Like "Cabin in the Sky" and "Carmen Jones," "Idlewild" is an all black musical, right down to the extras. However, unlike the prior offerings on this list, "Idlewild" is a black musical helmed by a black director with songs composed by black artists, Andre 3000 and Big Boi of Outkast. It has a decidedly experimental feel to it, which shouldn’t be surprising coming from two men making their first musical with a director making his first film, and an actress (Paula Patton) in her first major role. Their often surreal and animated (literally, at times) 1920s musical centers around two best friends from opposite sides of the track (played by the Outkast duo) trying to make it in their small town’s music scene — with a little prohibition liquor running on the side. You’ll spot several iconic black actors and musicians like Ben Vereen, Cecily Tyson, and Patti LaBelle peppered through the film, and a good chunk of the soundtrack comes from the Speakerboxx side of 2003's "Speakerboxx/The Love Below." If you have a pulse, you’ll find yourself tapping along to this movie and wondering why Hollywood refuses to give us more of them.

Dreamgirls (2006)

Eddie Murphy's face at the moment he lost the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as James "Thunder" Early to Alan Arkin's turn in "Little Miss Sunshine" has been seared in my mind since February 25, 2007. I've been angry about that loss (and his subsequent string of terrible movie roles beginning with "Norbit") ever since. It's possible that my anger fuels my continued love for "Dreamgirls," a movie I watch, without fail, at least once per yearly quarter. Or maybe it's just the fact that it is truly brilliant. Not one actor, from Anika Noni Rose to Loretta Divine, or from Danny Glover to Jaleel White (yes, Urkel!) is bad in this film, and I remember being so proud of this group of people who had been trusted with making the most expensive all Black Hollywood film ever produced. It has everything you could want in a musical: several Oscar worthy performances (it was Jennifer Hudson’s first nomination and first win), brilliant costumes by Sharen Davis (Eddie Murphy has not looked this good in a suit since "Delirious"), dance sequences by Fatima Robinson, and the one and only Beyoncé. The only thing missing is that Oscar; please give Eddie his things.

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